Parental
by EikoWest
Summary: Tulip Daimaoh-Son is four years old and has her first crush. Gohan has his first emotional breakdown as a parent. Piccolo tries to be the ever-prevailing proverbial voice of reason. (Originally part of a multi-chapter entitled "Umarete Yokatta".) HanP (Gohan x Piccolo)(Warning: Set in "Fast-Forward (Future) Retroverse". Smut & Cavity-Inducing Fluff. NSFW! Full Warnings Inside.)


**Note**: This is part of my "Umarete Yokatta" series.【生まれてよかった】- roughly means 'I'm glad you were born' in Japanese. These are random (sort of) independent stories revolving around Gohan and Piccolo as a married couple with kid/s. This is set in the "Fast-Forward (Future) Retroverse" timeline. For clarification's sake, the "hows" of their marriage is still in the process of being told, and their offspring have yet to be given proper story introductions (as it's all part of an elaborate series of arcs I am still in the process of writing), but it isn't really necessary to wait for those to enjoy these.

_This particular story will be understood better after first reading **"Umarete Yokatta: Homecoming"** and refers to events that take place in **"Don't Smell The Rozealeas"** & **"When Tulips Bloom In Winter"**._

**Warnings/Tags: **Retroverse Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Lime, Interspecies Romance, Established Relationship, Married Life With Kid(s), Jealous & Territorial Gohan, Professor & Interim Kamisama Piccolo, Butt-Squeezing, Domestic Love-Making, Gohan & Piccolo Have Kid/s!, Slice of Family Life, Parenting 101, Daimaoh-Son Family, Papa Gohan, Daddy(/Mommy) Piccolo, Father-Daughter Relationship/Bonding, Gohan & Tulip Mush, NSFW, Teaser Story, 飯Ｐ, 腐向け

**Disclaimer:** **Dragon Ball**/**Z**/**GT**/**Xenoverse**/**Super**/etc. belong to their respective owners. **Dragon Ball Retro**, however, is my derivative brainchild, created for my personal pleasure & sublimation. I own nothing except this derivative fanwork which I do not profit from.

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Story #46:

**"Parental"**

(…And Tulip and Gohan bond over curry.)

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"Piccolo-san, we need to talk."

"If you are going to drag me off to do some overzealous crime-fighting again, I absolutely refuse, Gohan."

"Not crime-fighting. Parenting."

Piccolo almost spurted the water he had been chugging from his gourd bottle.

"W-what?! What do you mean? Is something wrong with Tulip?"

"Well… it's because, yesterday, when I asked her how her day at school was…"

…

…

_"Papa… Would it be okay if I asked you something a bit… 'adult'sy?"_

_The flaxen-haired four-year-old fidgeted uncharacteristically, distractedly fiddling with her seatbelt; Gohan not missing the light_ _colour_ _staining her already rosy cheeks._

_"Of course, princess. Fire away!"_

_"Uh, h-how did you know you… err, how did you…_ _uhhmm…"_

_"'How did I what, sweetie?"_

_By now the blush on his daughter's face was glowing. And though he acted casual, he couldn't help but keep his eyes on her through the front mirror whenever his driving permitted it._

_"How did you know you were in love with Daddy?"_

…

…

"Of course, after I gave her an answer, I asked why she asked."

"And?"

"She said…"

…

…

_"Oh, nothing. Just curious."_

_…_

…

"I think Tulip-kun is in love."

Piccolo only stared at him, uncomprehending.

Gohan stood up from the boulder he had been resting on, discarding his torn gi top and wading into the lake.

"This is a disaster, Piccolo-san!"

"'Disaster'?" Piccolo echoed, mopping a line of sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist. "I am not sure I follow."

"She's only four years old!"

After a moment's thought, the Namek deduced, "Do you mean that by human standards she is too young to be in love?" When Gohan only stared at him imploringly, he shrugged. "I don't know. I felt ancient by the time I was four years old."

Gohan had almost forgotten about his husband's advanced aging, which effectively killed that argument on the spot. He tried a different angle.

"Aren't you even just the slightest bit worried that she's already romantically interested in someone so soon?"

"You mean," Piccolo crossed his arms, raising a brow. "That I should be alarmed that she takes too much after you?"

Gohan's mouth opened and his chest heaved but he deflated the next moment, cheeks flushing bright pink. Another angle of his argument shot dead.

"Well. No. Not exactly, at least. This is different! Tulip-kun is a _girl_."

"You lost me again." The Namek gently put down his gourd to join Gohan in the water, his burnt and tattered clothes vanishing with a flick of his wrist. "How, pray tell, is this 'different', exactly?"

"Aren't you even just a little afraid that she might run off with whoever this is? She looked so in love, I'm not sure she knows what she's getting into! It's too early for Tulip-kun to leave the nest! I won't allow it!"

_Leave the nest?_ Piccolo's brows furrowed. "Okay, relax. Hold those wild horses of yours. You're starting to sound like your mother."

"Piccolo-san, please! This is a serious matter!"

"_Oi_," Gohan stopped fidgeting when powerful hands grasped his shoulders in place. "Will you stop fretting for one second and listen to me?" Chestnut brown eyes focused on its mate's deep blue ones, uncertainly. "Aren't you overreacting? Tulip is the most intelligent four-year-old on the planet ever since_you_ grew up. I think we should trust our daughter and stop approaching this so fatalistically."

"I- I know," Gohan let out a heavy sigh. "You're right! It- it's just that, I'm so afraid of losing her…! She's the best thing that's ever happened to me since _you._ And- I'm just worried that- oh, now that I think about it, it really is bad!" The hybrid began to hyperventilate all over again, "If she _is_ anything like me when it comes to love… then, she might do the same thing I did!"

"The only reason we were forced to do what we did was because your mother was unsupportive of your choice. If we back up our little Tulip whatever happens, I don't think she'll want to stray far from us. The fact that she opened up to you so easily is proof that she wants to share this experience with us."

Gohan's head jerked up at that, as though hit by a bolt of lightning. He blinked for several moments, gathering his thoughts.

"Oh, Kamisama. What was I thinking?" he murmured, realization dawning in. "The last thing I want to do is to scare her away."

Piccolo patted the younger boy's head affectionately. "Exactly."

"Piccolo-san! You're amazing when it comes to these things! What would I do without you?" Before the Namek could open his mouth Gohan had already sealed his lips with a finger. "Never mind. Don't answer that."

Piccolo only grunted as he was cuddled, arms securing around him and forcing his naked body flush against his partner's.

"Thanks to you, I now know exactly what to do!" Gohan declared after distractedly scattering tongue-filled lip smacks over smooth and gorgeous green pectoral muscles. "We're going stop her from falling in love with the wrong guy!"

"What?"

"We're just going to find out who this smug little chump is who managed to capture our daughter's fancy and we're going to make sure _he, she, or both_, doesn't break her heart or spirit her away!"

"Okay…" Piccolo said very slowly. "You keep saying 'we' but I haven't agreed to any of that. Mainly because I think it's unsoundly asinine."

"Oh no," Gohan's grip around his husband tightened dangerously. "She's _our_ daughter. We have to make sure she doesn't get into trouble or end up heartbroken! I need your cooperation here, Piccolo-san!"

"I think, maybe, that as a good husband and father, this is the part where I should knock you unconscious to keep _you_ from getting _our daughter_ in trouble and breaking her heart."

"Oh, Kamisama, I can't believe it…" Gohan mumbled, a mildly crazed look in his eyes and an oddly misplaced smile on his lips. "Are we actually having our first real domestic fight?"

"Alright, Gohan. Now I'm starting to get more worried about you. I knew you were stressed out ever since we both started working at the university. But since it's normal for you to be unhinged from time to time…"

"I'm fine." The half-breed again tightened his embrace emphatically and rested his head against his mate's broad chest, eyes unfocused in the far distance.

Piccolo fell into his own thoughts. He was afraid that their decision to bring back the moon might produce unforeseen side-effects, especially after Gohan had grown back his Saiyajin tail on Ersatz Earth. They had only decided that it was relatively safer to bring it back because they were able to train and control his Oozaru transformation before they returned to Earth. He knew his former pupil and childhood friend was eccentric enough on a normal basis, but lately, it was noteworthy how his loony spells have been getting a little out of hand.

"Why is your heart beating so fast?" Gohan lifted his head to narrow his eyes at his towering husband. It was no easy feat, by the way. It was like trying to stare down a mountain. But he had the special technique down pat by now.

"Maybe because you're crushing my organs?"

"Oh," The boy gave an abashed laugh and loosened his hold. "Sorry, love."

Piccolo sighed in between the idle kisses occupying his lips now. "Look… why don't we just… talk to her?" Gohan paused and listened. "Did you even ask her who this love interest is? Maybe it's not as bad as your unstable mind is making it out to be."

"I did! Of course, I did!" Gohan piped up sulkily, poking his lover in the chest. "And don't think I'm not counting your jabs at my mental state, you ex-megalomaniac!" His started giggling, however, as his 'ex-megalomaniac' lover began nibbling puckishly on his ear.

Which led some endless minutes of light-headed lip locking, before Piccolo spoke up as they panted softly, noses touching and lips hovering only a millimetre from each others'.

"And? What did she say?"

"Well… That's the thing…"

…

_…_

_"Err, well…"_

_"Papa? Are you actually shy? After all the things I've seen –and heard- you and Daddy do when you think I don't?"_

_"Whu-what?! What do you-"_

_"It's okay if you don't feel comfortable answering my question."_

_"Hey, no, princess, of course, I can answer! Hm, let me see… Well, I uh, I- err, kind of just knew. From the moment I saw –and scented- Piccolo-san, uhm, I just… I just couldn't imagine anything worth doing without him in my life, you know… That sort of cringeworthy mush…"_

_"Did he make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?"_

_"He did. He still does… Every time… But, haha! That's just me, I'm a load of sap so-"_

_"I think it's beautiful… But how old were you when you knew it? I mean, when you knew it for real?"_

_"Uhh, well, I_ _uhh, I have always liked him, but I didn't really know what it was I was feeling so, it took me some time to figure it out…"_

_"So, what age did you figure it out?"_

_"Oh, I uhm, I don't remember exactly, around eleven, I think?"_

_"But you've liked him since you were…?_

_"Since I first saw him…"_

_"Age, Papa!"_

_"Err, four?"_

_"Wow… That's so romantic!"_

_"Oh,_ _ehehe. Err, ah, so, pumpkin… I take it you're asking me this because there's someone you like."_

_"Maybe? Maybe it's nothing. I'm just curious."_

_"'Maybe'? Aw,_ _c'mon. That's not fair, cupcake. After Papa answered all your embarrassing questions."_

_"Haha! I'm sorry, Papa. But I was telling the truth. I said 'maybe', because I'm not sure yet… how I feel."_

_"Err, wanna share more details with Papa?"_

_"Nah. You don't know him."_

_"Does he at least, have a name?"_

_"I'm sorry, Papa. But I can't tell you his name."_

…

…

"She said… she can't tell me." Gohan murmured incredulous, the shock of the experience obviously still racking his mind. "She's already keeping secrets from us, Piccolo-san! It's… _terrible._"

Piccolo frowned. Gohan was really stressing over this.

"I'm afraid, Piccolo-san. What if she rebels against us completely?" As he said this, his eyes began to water. But when several more minutes went by without a word from the Namek, Gohan peered up at him again. "Piccolo-san?"

"You are really starting to act and sound like your mother right about now. It's seriously creepy."

"Oh, Kamisama. It _is_creepy." Gohan paled slightly. "Especially since you're holding me right now… and we're both naked… and-"

"Alright, stop right there. If you go there, you're not getting any tonight."

"Waaah! No! Okay! I'm sorry!"

**-x-**

"So, pumpkin. Can you at least tell Papa, where you met this prince charming of yours?"

"Hm?"

Tulip looked up from what was supposedly her homework but actually was her treasured sketchbook hidden in the pages of a big hardbound book. Gohan recognized the symptoms and he wasn't fooled at all. He thought he saw a glimpse of spiky hair but she quickly shielded the page from his view and shut the book.

"What did you say, Papa?"

Gohan smiled at his daughter before turning back to face the kitchen sink where he had been washing vegetables and preparing lunch. He took a deep subtle breath, trying to stay grounded. This was a good chance to reassure his daughter that they were on her side all the way!

It was the weekend and their family bonding time. They usually all did the cooking together, but since Piccolo had to attend to some last-minute business at the university, he had to report to the office very early that Saturday morning but promised his commitment wouldn't keep him from lunch. And Tulip had… homework- _but was sketching her secret crush instead!_

"Oh, nothing, princess." Gohan wiped his hands dry on his apron and began peeling carrots. His husband and daughter loved curry, and luckily, he had adapted the recipe from his mother to perfection. But right now, his mind was only half on the dish at hand.

_That sketchbook!_

It seems that his daughter was really taking after him if she was sketching her crush! He definitely had to take a peek at that sketch!

But Piccolo's words echoed caution in his mind. He felt just like he had taken his mother Chi-chi's post now and had caught his eleven-year-old-self sketching his secret crush. No! He can't be sneaky, he hated that. He was going to be supportive of her! He wasn't going to scare her into thinking she needed to keep secrets from them! He was going to be a good, understanding parent slash best friend!

"I was just wondering… maybe you could at least tell Papa where you first met this prince charming of yours…"

A soft chuckle filled the air. He loved the sound of their daughter's voice, especially her laugh.

"Oh, well, I met him in my dreams, Papa!" The four-year-old exotic hybrid stated, emerald green eyes twinkling as if that was the most obvious thing in the universe. She then sighed and giggled some more. "He's sooo handsome, Papa!"

Gohan nearly chopped his finger right off.

"R-r-really…?"

Cautiously setting aside the cubed carrots, he began working on the potatoes, more carefully this time.

"Uh-huh."

"N-no way! Even more handsome than your Daddy and me?" he returned half in jest. Oh, but he really wanted to know! _Who the hell was this annoying chump anyway?_

"Hmm… he's definitely more handsome than you, Papa. But only half a modicum more handsome than Daddy."

Gohan felt like he just took a Ki blast to his unguarded stomach. He always suspected Tulip played favourites. _She really did like her Daddy Piccolo better!_ And he couldn't help a pang of-

"Are you being jealous, Papa?" Tulip was by his side now, peering at the vegetables and spices on the countertop.

Gohan laughed loudly. (Though he wasn't sure why.)

"What makes you say that, princess?"

"Ohhh… I don't know…" Tulip's iridescent jade orbs studied his face for a while before returning to the vegetables. "Because you've murdered the potatoes in cold blood?"

"Waahh!" Gohan stared aghast at the unrecognizable glop that was once fine home-grown potatoes from their well-tended backyard garden.

Tulip chortled deliriously, "You're so funny, Papa!" But upon seeing her father's dejected expression, she wrapped her small arms around as much of him as tightly as she could, "That's okay, Papa! I still love you!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Gohan said with a woeful smile. "I'll fix it." He shoved the remnants of the vegetables into the garbage disposal but his daughter's tiny hand stopped him.

"No, Papa! Don't waste food. It'll be fine."

Tulip dashed to the other corner of the kitchen to fetch her very own wooden stepladder (one she had built herself with Gohan's help, insisting that she wanted to make one without using magic). After putting on an apron (she had sewn herself too), she climbed the ladder until she was level with the countertop. She washed her hands before setting aside the now 'mashed' potatoes in a saucer, which she then dumped into the boiling pot.

"We can use those to thicken the soup! It'll be yummy."

Gohan, who had watched her with a father's silent adoration the whole time now felt hotness stinging his eyes and that all-too-familiar heartache of too much love expanding in his chest.

"See?" She grinned at him brightly before reaching out for her own smaller knife from the block. "Now we'll just chop up new perfect ones! I'll help you, Papa! You can be in charge of stirring the pot for now!"

The demi-Saiyajin had to summon all his will power to stop from breaking down there and then and crushing his daughter in his arms. He nodded, giving his best response to the sunshine fanged smile flashed his way, then moved with shaky knees to the stove, obediently tending to the boiling stew.

Somehow, he remembered all the times he had put his mother through similar challenging situations. He wondered how she truly felt then and how hard it must have been. Now, he was both heartbroken over the joy of having such a wonderful little angel in his life and guilt-ridden over the suffering he had most likely put his mother through. He vowed to make it up to her. But he was glad that she seemed to be overjoyed to have Tulip now. They were lucky she even agreed to let her stay with them during weekends considering how much she missed the little girl in even a moment's absence. And now, was his dearest baby going to leave him too like he did his mother?

"First, you say you met him in your dreams, and now you say he's better looking than your Papa and Daddy…" Gohan said wistfully after some companionable silence passed between them as they worked side by side. "Now, I really want to meet this lucky fellow."

The smile on Tulip's face faltered. Her lips were open with unspoken words when-

"_Tadaima!_"

"Daddy!" Tulip squeal-whispered, dropping everything and jumping off her stepladder.

Gohan's heart clenched. Piccolo was home, and his happiness couldn't be more complete. He used to be the one throttling his husband whenever he arrived, but now, he let their daughter have the pleasure of doing that first. One he took just as much pleasure in witnessing all the same.

Piccolo walked into the kitchen with a comically feral looking Tulip latched on to his arm, fangs bared and little voice growling. Tulip's both fearsome and cute expression crumbled into a fit of hysterical chuckles as her green father-slash-mother pretended to be in immense pain from the "attack".

"_Okaeri_," Gohan breathed, feeling his being hum in blissful contentment at the sight of them both.

He felt his cheeks flush as he took in his lean Namek, looking as dashing as ever in his formal white dress shirt and tie. He was immensely grateful that they were able to find a job at the newly established intergalactic university in Metro West City. Even if they really didn't need to work because they had everything they needed between the forests' bounty, Piccolo's magic, and Capsule Corporation's full support (with Bloomer being Tulip's godmother), they both thought it would be a good contribution to secure their daughter's future and ensure Chi-chi's and Gyuumaoh's comfort.

"What's with the long face, Gohan?"

Gohan shuddered as Piccolo's low rumbling purr vibrated in his ear before soft lips pressing down made his sensitive skin there prickle. He balled his fists endeavouring to resist the maddening urge to pin his husband against the countertop, savagely rip his clothes off right there and then, and take him like it was the end of the world. Even if they'd never done it in the kitchen before, it wasn't necessarily not part of his fantasies. He closed his eyes and laudably pushed down images of a sweat-slick butt naked Piccolo clad in nothing but a flimsy apron being fucked bruisingly hard against the countertop. He inhaled deeply, taking in as much of Namek's scent as possible and letting it permeate his senses to calm his libido, telling himself that the world wasn't ending yet, and they still had _all of tonight._

But as always, ever since his Namek had begun his normal job, there were a dozen other foreign scents on his mate that made Gohan bristle in agitation.

"Daddy, look! We're making curry!"

Piccolo gently but meaningfully squeezed his husband's hand which had unconsciously grasped his arm in an iron grip, snapping Gohan out of mid-snarl and the beginnings of ascension.

"Papa, are you growling at Daddy again?"

Tulip's little head popped in-between them, her elfin ears twitching. Gohan blinked down at his daughter, mildly disorientated.

"Is it because he smells funny again? Do you need to do adult stuff? I can finish chopping the-"

"Oh, no, crumbs no, cupcake!" Gohan shook himself out of the trance completely and scooped her up, engulfing her tiny frame in an affectionate hug. "Adult stuff can wait. No way I'm letting my little cream puff do all the work."

"Are you sure?" Tulip mumbled when she was pecked in the cheek. "You know I'd understand, Papa. Besides, I'm pretty good at kitchen stuff. I can manage."

"I know, sweet pea." The demi-Saiyajin gave another lingering kiss to the tip of her very Piccolo button nose this time before setting her back on her step ladder. "But I want us to do it together! We'll finish up here, while _your daddy _takes a quick_–thorough-_shower."

Piccolo obediently does as he was told, growling menacingly under his breath when Gohan managed to get in a very hearty butt squeeze before he could defend his rear.

…

"Don't be sad anymore, Papa."

Gohan looked up, not realizing that he had fallen into silence again. Tulip's worried eyes were peering up at his face.

"It doesn't matter if there is someone just a scoach more handsome than you and Daddy, I still love both of you worlds more!"

The wetness that had been rimming his eyes without him even being aware of began to overflow. He was thankful that the steam from the pot was already semi-fogging his eyeglasses.

"You promise?" Gohan's voice was but a small emotional whisper striving to sound stable.

"More than all the galaxies combined, until the end of the world! I promise! So please, Papa, don't be sad anymore. Or else, me and Daddy will be sad too. Smile again, pretty please? With whipped cream and extra caramel ripple on top?"

And before he could stop himself, his little bundle of joy was within his arms again, doing her best to pat his back like the mature little adult she was despite being nearly crushed alive by the ferocity of the strongest embrace in the universe.

"_Yokatta."_ The tears finally rolling down the brunet demi-Saiyajin's cheeks, the sublime burning warmth in his chest radiating all the way to his soul. "I love you and your Daddy more than all the galaxies combined until the end of the world too!"

"Silly, Papa!" Tulip sniffed in half-hearted reprimand. "Of course, I already knew that."

Gohan chuckled.

"Good."

**End(…?)**

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**Notes****:**

**To the lovelies who followed this when it was a multi-chapter entitled "Umarete Yokatta"**: I re-published the other chapters as independent stories. (I wish I could transfer your precious comments for those chapters too, but I settled for taking screencaps of it so I'd have a memento.) I apologize if you followed this or gave Kudos for any of the story instalments I separated. Cheers!

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_**Tulip-kun's Character Design Sketches**__ can be found on__** AO3**__. _  
_(Type "works/8319505" directly into the browser.)_

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(2016/06/27-2017/03/23)


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